2075

Chapter Eleven: Shelley's Got a Secret

"Fifty years, huh?" They had been walking for about thirty minutes, Lucas filled in Rose along the way. Rose was the child of an original bunker resident. Albany had opened up on time, but the world wasn't quite ready to inhabit, so they closed back up for a few years. By the time she was four they started to create a community in the park where the bunker was. They had babies, began to grow food, and things really started to look up. That was until the Dark Day. When Rose was five a storm approached, the rain was bad and killed their crops along with many of their people. After that, they changed a lot of things. Over the years they got back to where they were, build greenhouses, started to clean up around the park, and patrol the surrounding areas. "There's nothing about the NYC bunker in the terminal. Last contact was years ago."

"The men who were suppose to wake us died." Lucas added, following beside Rose, "We were lucky to get out."

"You sure were. Now Trenton, last I heard of them was about five years ago, they did open. However, they weren't doing too great. Not sure how they are now. Besides them, I know there's a group in the North, but I've never met them. Only heard rumors of people passing by." Rose looked over at Maitlynn and smiled, "Our last doctor died about a year ago. Patrick does what he can, but it's only what his mother taught him and from the books we got. There's a girl, Shelley, she's got some problems with her pregnancy, think you can lend a hand?"

Maitlynn smiled kindly, although Pediatrics was not her specialty, she did have to study it her intern year and was the go-to neuro surgeon for the children in the hospital. "Of course."

"Thanks." Rose smiled.

As they approached Washington Park they trio admired a large makeshift wall that was surrounding it. Wood, metal, car parts, anything they could find to build the six foot wall was used. A gate made from old metal fencing swung open for them and the trio walked in. There was thick green grass, two sturdy looking glass buildings with blooming plants and vegetables growing inside. As they walked past they saw people working in the gardens inside. There was homes built from wood and old camping trailers. Children ran past them, all laughing as they went. The further they walked down the path, the more people that were in the group broke off and walked away, soon leaving the trio and Rose. Rose came to a stop and pointed over to an old building that looked like it had originally been in the park before the war. It stood beside a river, the water was dark and there was fencing around the edge of it to keep people out, "You'll find Patrick inside, that's our medic building."

"Why not keep it in the bunker, wouldn't that be safer?" Maitlynn asked.

"The bunker isn't as quickly accessible, anything we could do down there, we do up here. Everything was brought to that building." Rose nodded, "We'll head down to the control room and catch up with you later."

Lucas and Maitlynn locked eyes, she worried about splitting up, "I'll uh, go later."

"I'd appreciate if you go now. Not to be rude, but Shelley needs someone to check on her and if you can be of any help to her, I'd love it to be sooner rather than later." Rose shrugged, "Look I get it. You don't know us, but I ask you to trust us."

"That's not easily done. Trust is earned." Lucas turned to Rose.

"I'll go with her," Marley spoke up, "Lucas you can fend for yourself, and I think learning some things from Mae could be good for me."

Lucas sighed, he liked that better than her going off alone, so he nodded. "We will meet up soon."

Maitlynn smiled, she turned away and started to walk toward the medical building. Rose pointed to the other end of the building, "We're going there."

"It's in the same building?" Lucas asked. The building was very long, but he was surprised.

"Yes and no. The door to the stairwell is that way. They built it under the river." Rose looked over at Lucas, "Yes, that is concerning because of the black water. But we make sure no one is living in the bunker and so far nothing had leaked. These things were built tough."